If you are a current HP VMS support customer, have you been formallynotified by HP of the existence of VSI and what that means for thefuture of VMS or have you had to discover this for yourself viavarious third parties (such as the media and comp.os.vms) ?

Up until now, I've just assumed that HP have notified all it's VMScustomers both large and small about VSI. Given recent discussions incomp.os.vms it's no longer clear that this is the case, so I'm justtrying to get a feeling for how many of you have been formally andactively notified by HP about VSI.

Actively notified means something like a letter or other unsolicitedcommunication from HP.

Simon.

--Simon Clubley, ***@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFPMicrosoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

I can speak for one client anyway... HP requested a renewal for their support contract with no mention of VSI. Realize that HP still provides support for OpenVMS and won't tell existing clients to upgrade to VSI unless they (HP) can get some of the revenue somehow. This particular client was not informed by HP at all of VSI's existence. I have done that and am working on an upgrade plan for this client.

They are currently "stuck" at V7.3-2 with a little work required to get to V8.4. Planning is in place and a request for a quote has been made to VSI.

Post by abrsvcI can speak for one client anyway... HP requested a renewal fortheir support contract with no mention of VSI. Realize that HP stillprovides support for OpenVMS and won't tell existing clients toupgrade to VSI unless they (HP) can get some of the revenue somehow.This particular client was not informed by HP at all of VSI'sexistence. I have done that and am working on an upgrade plan forthis client.

Thanks Dan.

HP will be getting revenue because it's quite possible that somecustomers will stay with HP a little longer than they were planning towhile they see how the VSI option plays out instead of moving awayfrom VMS immediately because they think VMS is now dead.

This should have all been sorted out when the contract between HPand VSI was been negotiated and if VSI do indeed have access tothis information, they should have used it by now in order toslow down the rate of porting away from VMS.

Simon.

--Simon Clubley, ***@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFPMicrosoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

What is "formaly notified" today? Does anyone still uses letterswritten on paper? In particular if you are working in IT?

Formal notification via letter is still the standard in the UK, butI don't know true that is in Sweden.In Sweden, when a company, bank or government organisation needs toformally notify you about something, how do they do it ?Simon.

I have never got a letter from my bank asking if I have seen thatthere is another bank having lower interest rates and that they'dbe just happy if I moved my busines away from them.

When they are forced by legislation, or when they have benfitts oftheir own from it, they might send me a letter.

For the general market around banking services, I use theirweb pages and other forms of information channels.

Post by Simon ClubleyFormal notification via letter is still the standard in the UK, butI don't know true that is in Sweden.In Sweden, when a company, bank or government organisation needs toformally notify you about something, how do they do it ?

I have never got a letter from my bank asking if I have seen thatthere is another bank having lower interest rates and that they'dbe just happy if I moved my busines away from them.

The difference here is that your existing bank hasn't decided todiscontinue a whole section of it's existing business and then toenter into a partnership with another bank...

Post by Simon ClubleyIf you are a current HP VMS support customer, have you been formallynotified by HP of the existence of VSI and what that means for thefuture of VMS or have you had to discover this for yourself viavarious third parties (such as the media and comp.os.vms) ?Up until now, I've just assumed that HP have notified all it's VMScustomers both large and small about VSI. Given recent discussions incomp.os.vms it's no longer clear that this is the case, so I'm justtrying to get a feeling for how many of you have been formally andactively notified by HP about VSI.Actively notified means something like a letter or other unsolicitedcommunication from HP.Simon.

I have been informed about that by our local OpenVMS ambassador.Now, we have a proactive maintenance contract, and our HP accountteam knew that we were interested in buying I4 blades. That probablyhelped.

Post by Simon Clubleynotified by HP of the existence of VSI and what that means for thefuture of VMS or have you had to discover this for yourself viavarious third parties (such as the media and comp.os.vms) ?Up until now, I've just assumed that HP have notified all it's VMScustomers both large and small about VSI. Given recent discussions

in

Post by Simon Clubleycomp.os.vms it's no longer clear that this is the case, so I'm justtrying to get a feeling for how many of you have been formally andactively notified by HP about VSI.Actively notified means something like a letter or other

I have been informed about that by our local OpenVMS ambassador.Now, we have a proactive maintenance contract, and our HP accountteam knew that we were interested in buying I4 blades. That probablyhelped.

Likely already known, but a very, very small % of OpenVMS Customersactually participate in c.o.v., so asking survey questions like thishere will likely not create many responses.

Post by Simon Clubleynotified by HP of the existence of VSI and what that means for thefuture of VMS or have you had to discover this for yourself viavarious third parties (such as the media and comp.os.vms) ?Up until now, I've just assumed that HP have notified all it's VMScustomers both large and small about VSI. Given recent discussions

I have been informed about that by our local OpenVMS ambassador.Now, we have a proactive maintenance contract, and our HP accountteam knew that we were interested in buying I4 blades. That probablyhelped.

Thanks for the feedback.

Post by Simon ClubleyLikely already known, but a very, very small % of OpenVMS Customersactually participate in c.o.v., so asking survey questions like thishere will likely not create many responses.

True, but if it's a positive response (ie: "yes, we have receiveda formal letter from HP"), then you don't need many responsesto be reasonably confident that HP have actually done this fortheir current support customers as a whole.

Simon.

--Simon Clubley, ***@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFPMicrosoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

Post by Kerry MainI just do not understand why you think a division in HP (or anycompany for that matter) would knowingly give up its Customer revenueto another company.

Because VSI should have had the foresight to make this a part of thecontract negotiations in the same way as DEC sometimes handled thesematters in the old days.

And as I've already told you, that customer revenue is gone inseveral years anyway and by doing this, HP may actually get _more_revenue as customers keep their existing systems while waiting tosee how things progress at VSI instead of replacing them withsomething else.

Simon.

--Simon Clubley, ***@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFPMicrosoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

Post by Kerry MainI just do not understand why you think a division in HP (or anycompany for that matter) would knowingly give up its Customer revenueto another company.

I already explained this. Simon believes in the tooth fairy.

Don't you read my funny posts?

Post by Simon ClubleyBecause VSI should have had the foresight to make this a part of thecontract negotiations in the same way as DEC sometimes handled thesematters in the old days.

What if they did, and were told to "pound salt"?

Post by Simon ClubleyAnd as I've already told you, that customer revenue is gone inseveral years anyway and by doing this, HP may actually get _more_revenue as customers keep their existing systems while waiting tosee how things progress at VSI instead of replacing them withsomething else.Simon.

Simon, you would not last 10 minutes in an organization such as HP. They'd haveyou sliced and diced in no time.

I was involved in one case, way back, where a DEC salesman figured a sale lostto another DEC salesman was the same as losing the sale to IBM. And he wasn'tvery nice about it. Told outright lies about the other DEC guy. True story.